Scientologists Fight French Religious Intolerance

Panafrican News Agency, 23 October 2000

Cape Town, South Africa—Scientologists, including a number of
South Africans, Monday reacted angrily to the French Government's
perceived religious intolerance.

France has blacklisted 173 religions and is seeking to pass a bill
that will look to dissolve sects that are considered undesirable. The
list includes Baptists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Scientologists and Seventh-Day Adventists.

This bill is expected to come before the French Senate at the end of
October. Scientologists as well as an array of other religious
denominations in Paris Monday held a huge march and rally in protest
of this bill.

A number of South African Scientologists who are outraged at the bill
flew to France to lend their voices to the protest.

The International Relations Committee of the US House of
Representatives early October passed unanimously a strong1y-worded
resolution calling on President Bill Clinton to raise the issue of
violations of religious liberty with the leaders of France, Germany,
Austria and Belgium.

The Church of Scientology was recognised as a religion in South Africa
in March when 12 of its ministers were granted the right to perform
legal marriages.